Loading apparatus



Dec. 29, 1936. T. F. M CARTHY LOADING APPARATUS s sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1934 \& 8 %w Q NW 22 N 1 E1 m R 0 kw E m\ a \M Q m Q Dec. 29, 1936. 1-. F. M CARTHY LOADING APPARATUS Filed March 21, 1934 s Shets-Sheet? Dec. 29, 1936. T. F. MCCARTHY 2,065,319.

LOADING APPARATUS JWW finally]? 1/ (r/y ofllarne Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in loading apparatus, and more particularly to a new and improved loading apparatus of the shaker conveyor type for loading coal or analogous materials in mines, and has as its principal objects to provide a new and improved apparatus of the class described operating on the shaker conveyor principle and particularly adapted for operation in places of low vertical height for loading out a complete working place.

A prior application, Serial No. 667,583, filed by me on April 24, 1933, which issued as Patent No. 2,030,145 on February 11, 1936, shows a device I adapted to be operated by a shaker conveyor pan line for continuously loading out a complete working place. The device of my present invention is an improvement on my prior disclosure in that a unitary apparatus is provided which is adapted to operate independently of the shaker conveyor pan line.

My invention may be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device embodying my invention with parts broken away and in section to more clearly show certain details thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial fragmentary side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 with certain parts broken away and in section to more clearly show the details thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a detail view showing certain details of the clamping mechanism not shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a reduced detail view showing the clamping mechanism in horizontal section;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along line 'i'I of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along line 8-8 of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail View of the ratchet mechanism shown in Figures 7 and 8;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatical view illustrating the operation of the device of my invention in a room and pillar system of mining; and

Figure 11 is a diagrammatical view showing the device of my invention applied to pillar drawing operations.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the various figures,

Referring now in particular to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of my invention, the main elements thereof include a frame I0, adapted to rest on and slide along the mine bottom, a loading pan I! guided by one side of said frame 5 for reciprocable movement with respect thereto, and feeding mechanism, generally indicated by reference character I2, for feeding said loading pan into the material it is desired to load.

The frame I0 is provided with a guide I3, 10' which guide is herein shown as extending along its longest side. The guide I3 includes an angle I4 secured to said frame in a suitable manner, such as welding. A vertical leg of the angle I4 abuts and is secured to the frame I0 and the 15 horizontal leg of said angle extends in a direction away from said frame, adjacent but spaced from the mine bottom. An angle I5 is secured to the outer face of the angle I4 for a portion of its length by one of its legs in a suitable manner, such as welding. The other leg of the angle I5 extends outwardly from the frame I0 so that the angles I4 and I5 form, in effect, a channelled guide. Flanged guide members I6 and I! are secured to the insides of the horizontal legs of the angles I4 and I5 in such a manner that they form a guide for suitable anti-friction members; such as, rollers I8, I8 secured to a vertical rearward wall I9 of the loading pan II.

The portion of the angle I4 opposite the angle I5 and beyond the frame I0 is inclined upwardly above the ground and has an angle 20 secured thereto in a manner similar to the manner the angle I5 is secured to said angle I4. Flanged guide members 2| and 22 extend upwardly and downwardly from the insides of the hori zontal legs of the angles I4 and 20 and form a guide for a suitable anti-friction member, such as a roller 23 secured to the vertical rearward wall I9 of the loading pan II adjacent the end opposite the rollers I 8, I8. The portion of said loading pan adjacent the roller 23 has substantially the same degree of inclination with respect to the ground as said angles, for elevating the material for discharge into a suitable receptacle.

Rollers 24, 24 are spaced along and secured to the upper face of the horizontal leg of the angle I4 in a suitable manner and abut the rearward face of the rear wall I9 of the loading pan II to take care of thrusting loads imparted to said 5 frame by said loading pan.

With reference now in particular to the details of the loading pan I I and several of the novel features of my invention, said loading pan, as herein shown, includes an elongated plate 25 having an upwardly inclined discharge passageway formed by the rear wall l9 and an advance retaining member 26 which extends along the inclined portion of said plate. Said plate has an extensible pan 2! telescopically carried thereby for extension or retraction with respect thereto. Said extensible pan is adapted to be held in fixed relation with respect to the plate 25 by means of a suitable clamping device 29, the details of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

An advance edge 30 of the plate 25 extends along the horizontal portion thereof and is curved downwardly to form a lip for engagement with the ground. Said advance edge is herein shown as being serrated for agitating the loose material and cutting through solidly wedged pieces of material. It should herein be noted that the purpose of inclining said advance edge of said plate downwardly from the bottom of said plate is to enable said loading pan to be more readily fed under the loose material, said material also acting as a means for engaging said advance edge with the ground and preventing climbing of said plate and the entire loading pan With reference now in particular to the extensible pan 21 and several other features of my invention, said extensible pan is provided with a downwardly curved depending serrated lip 32 adapted to engage the ground when extended beyond said plate. As herein shown the depending lip 32 is inclined at a greater angle of incidence with respect to the ground than the angle of inclination of the advance edge 30 of the plate 25. The lip 32 is secured to a spacing member 33 secured to and spaced inwardly from the advance edge of the extensible pan 2'! a distance suflicient to provide a retaining flange, which may be engaged by the under portion of a spacing member 34 for forming a retaining guide for said extensible pan 21. A plurality of spacing members 34 are provided along the advance edge of the plate 25 and are so arranged that their upper surface may conform to the angle of inclination of the depending lip 32 to form a support for q said lip and guide for said extensible pan. An

angle 35 is secured to and has a vertical leg 36 extending upwardly from the retreating side of said extensible pan so that said vertical leg may form a rearward retaining wall for said extensible pan and abut and slide along the advance side of the rear wall IS. A lip 35a extending from the rear wall I 9 overlaps the upper end of the leg 36 of the angle 35 and forms a retaining member for said extensible pan.

The clamping means 29, as herein shown, comprises a support member 31 of a O-shaped formation having a slot 38 formed therein adapted to carry a block 39. The support member 31 is adapted to engage the advance face of the vertical leg 36 of the angle 35 and extends over said angle 35 and the rear wall IS in such a manner that the block 39 may engage the rearward face of the rear wall I9 and clamp the vertical leg of said angle to said rear wall. The block 39 is provided with a bored portion which has an eccentric 40 journaled therein. The eccentric 40 is formed on a shaft 4|, which shaft is journaled adjacent opposite sides of said eccentric in the support member 31. The upper end of the shaft 4| is squared and is adapted to have a suitable hand lever 43 inserted thereon for rotating said shaft and eccentric 40 and engaging the block 39 with the rear wall IS. The hand lever 43 is provided with a depending projection 44 adapted to engage the rear wall l9 when the block 39 is in a clamping position and hold said block in such a posi tion during reciprocation of the loading pan II. It is thus apparent that the loading pan may be carried by the frame ID in the guide I3 in such a manner that it may be reciprocably moved with respect thereto for conveying material therealong, and that said loading pan is extensible so that it may be adjusted for loading in varying widths of working places. Said loading pan is also so arranged as to slide along and rest on the ground and be held in engagement with the ground by the material which it is loading.

With reference now in particular to the means for reciprocably driving the loading pan II for conveying material therealong, a shaker conveyor drive mechanism, generally indicated by reference character 45, is provided. The shaker conveyor drive mechanism 45 is herein shown as being secured to the frame I U in a suitable mannerand is driven by a motor 46 through suitable reduction gearing. The-drive mechanism 45 may be of an ordinary construction and includes a plurality of links and levers so arranged as to transfer the rotary motion of the motor into reciprocatory motion having predetermined changes in acceleration during its forward and return stroke for moving loose material along the loading pan H in a direction which is shown in Figure 1 to be from right to left. A rocking member 41 is secured to and rocked by a transverse shaft 48 of the drive mechanism 45. The rocking member 41 has connection with the loading pan I I by means of a pusher rod 49 pivotally connected thereto and pivotally connected to a connecting member 50 secured to and extending outwardly from the rear wall IQ of said loading pan.

With reference now in particular to the feeding mechanism l2 and the means for feeding the loading pan into the material which is being loaded and several other novel features of my invention, the frame In is pivotally connected adjacent the discharge end of the loading pan II to a jack 5| adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom. The jack 5| may be of any suitable construction, but is herein shown as being an ordinary screw jack located on the end of the frame |IJ opposite the feeding mechanism |2 in substantial alignment with the longitudinal center line of the conveyor drive mechanism 45. As so arranged, the frame Ill may be pivotally moved about its axis of pivotal connection to the jack 5| to feed the loading pan ll into the broken down material and permit said loading pan to gather said material and discharge it onto suitable material removing means, such as a conveyor 52.

A threaded member 53 extends rearwardly from and is connected to the frame member ID opposite the jack 5|, adjacent the forward end thereof for rotation with respect thereto and for pivotal movement with respect thereto in both horizontal and vertical planes. The threaded member 53 is herein shown as being secured to a member 54 which is pivotally connected to a member 55 for pivotal movement with respect thereto. The member 55 in turn is pivotally secured to a bracket 56 for pivotal movement with respect thereto about an axis perpendicular to the axis of pivotal connection of the member 54 to the member 55. The bracket 56 is rotatably carried by the guide frame l3 in a suitable manner. A nut 51 is threaded on the threaded member 53 and trunnioned in a bracket 59 for pivotal movement with respect thereto about a horizontal axis. The nut 51 is held in position with respect to the bracket 59 in a suitable manner by means of a suitable retaining member, indicated by reference character 60. The bracket 59 is pivotally connected to a jack 6| adjacent the lower end thereof for pivotal movement with respect thereto about a vertical axis. The jack BI is of the ordinary screw type and is adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom in a usual manner. It is thus apparent that when the jacks 5| and 6| are set so as to engage both the mine roof and mine bottom that rotation of the threaded member 53 will cause pivotal movement of the frame ID about its axis of pivotal connection to the jack 5| and feed the loading pan into the mined material.

The means for rotating the threaded member 53 is herein preferably shown as being driven from the shaker conveyor drive mechanism 45 and includes a toothed wheel 62 secured to the threaded member 53 in a suitable manner (see Figures 7 and 9). A forked operating lever 63 is journaled on the threaded member 53 adjacent opposite sides of the toothed wheel 62 and has a ratchet member 64 pivotally carried thereby between the prongs of the forked portion of said operating lever on a pin 65. The ratchet member 64 is provided with a pair of engaging pawls 66, 66 and a V-shaped peak 61 extending upwardly therefrom intermediate said pawls. The peak 6'! of the ratchet member 64 is adapted to be engaged by an end of a spring pressed plunger 68, which end is herein shown as being peaked. The peaked end of the spring pressed plunger 68 conforms to the form of the sides of the V'-shaped peak 61 of the ratchet member 64. Said spring pressed plunger thus forms a means for engaging either one of the pawls 66 with one of the teeth of the toothed wheel 62 for rotating said wheel when moving in one direction and permitting the respective pawl 66 to become disengaged from said tooth when being moved in an opposite direction. The arrangement is such that rotation of the toothed wheel 62 may be reversed in an ordinary manner by engaging one side or the other of the peak of the spring pressed plunger 68 with the corresponding side of the V-shaped peak 67.

The operating member 63 has a handle 69 extending upwardly therefrom which is adapted to be loosely engaged by a suitable socket formed in a member 10 extending forwardly from said handle and adapted to be secured to the rearward side of the rear wall IQ of the loading pan Thus, as the loading pan II is reciprocab-ly driven for conveying material therealong, the member 16 will reciprocably move the handle 69 and operating member 63 about its axis of pivotal connection to the threaded member 53 and rotate said threaded member through the ratchet member 61 and feed said loading pan.

Means are provided for moving the device of my invention about the mine from working place to working place, which may also be used for feeding the device of my invention if desired. Said means, as herein shown, includes a winding drum 12 keyed to a horizontal shaft 14 journaled at its ends in a suitable support member and housing, generally indicated by reference character 15, which housing is mounted on the frame I0. While the winding drum 13 may be driven by the motor 46 or the shaker conveyor drive mechanism, for the purpose of simplicity,

TI herein preferably show said winding drum as being driven by a separate motor 16. The motor 16 is operatively connected with the horizontal shaft 14 for driving said shaft by means of a suitable coupling 11. The shaft 14 is provided with a Worm 18 which meshes with and drives a worm gear 19 keyed on a sleeve 80. The sleeve 80 is freely mounted on the shaft I4 and forms a driving means for a plural speed frictionally controlled planetary geared reduction device, generally indicated by reference character 8|.

The planetary geared reduction device 8| is of a plural speed frictionally controlled type and is adapted to drive the winding drum 13 at either a high or low frictionally controlled speed (see Figure 6). The planetary geared reduction device 8| is no portion of my present invention so will only be herein described insofar as is necessary to make my present invention clearly understandable.

A clutch member 83 is feathered on the horizontal shaft I4 and is provided with clutch jaws 84 adapted to mesh with clutch jaws 85 on a cage 86. The cage 85 forms a carrier for planetary pinions 81, 81, which pinions mesh with internal gears 88 and 89, driven from a sun gear 90, formed integral with the sleeve 80. Clutch jaws 9| are formed in a hub 92 of the internal gear 89 and are adapted to mesh with the clutch jaws 84. When the clutch jaws 84 mesh with the clutch jaws 85 and the internal gear 88 is held from rotation by means of a suitable friction band 93 engaging the outside of the casing for the planetary gear reduction device 8|, the shaft 14 is driven at the speed of rotation of the cage '86. When the clutch jaws 84 are meshed with the clutch jaws 9|, the shaft 14 is driven by the internal gear 89 at a lower frictionally controlled speed. High and low speeds are frictionally controlled bythe friction band 93 engaged with the outer periphery of the casing for the planetary geared reduction device 8| by means of a suitable hand wheel 98. The winding drum 12 may thus be driven at either a high or low frictionally controlled speed for feeding or maneuvering the feeding pan H by means of the flexible feeding member 13 connected to a fixed abutment remote from the machine in an obvious manner.

With reference now in particular to Figures 10 and 11, the device of my invention is shown as being operated in conjunction with the conveyor 52, which is herein preferably shown as being of the shaker type, and includes a pan line 94. The pan line 94 is provided with a swivel 95 having an extension pan 96 connected thereto. As herein shown, a feeder head 91 of an ordinary construction, well known to those skilled in the art, is se cure-d to the forward end of the extension pan 99 and is adapted to extend an extensible pan 99 from or retract said extensible pan within the extension pan 96 by a suitable system of gripping devices and levers operated upon the forward and rearward strokes of the shaker conveyor pan line in the usual manner. The extension pan 99 is provided with a widened or hopper-like forward end, indicated by reference character I68, which extends beneath the discharge end of the loading pan II for receiving material discharged therefrom. I

When the frame I and loading pan i is positioned as shown by solid lines in Figure 10, and the jacks and iii are interposed between the mine roof and floor, the loading pan may be reciprocably driven by the drive mechanism 45 and fed into the broken down material by means of the feeding mechanism l2 in a hereinbefore described manner. As the loading pan II is fed into the mined coal, the extensible pan 2'! may be extended from or retracted within the plate 25 and clamped in position with respect to said plate by the clamping means 29 hereinbefore described. When the threaded member 53 reaches the end of its travel with respect to the nut 51, the jack 6| may be disengaged from the mine roof and bottom and the threaded member 53 may be rotated in a direction opposite to its former direction of rotation by means of reversing the ratchet member 64 to position said jack and nut for again feeding the loading pan I I into the loose material. As the loading pan H is being fed into the material, the extensible pan 99 may be extended or retracted with respect tothe discharge end of said loading pan by means of the feeder head 9! and may be pivoted about the axis of the swivel to completely gather the material discharged by the discharge end of said loading pan.

Loading in pillar drawing operations may be accomplished in a manner similar to room and pillar operations, as is clearly shown in Figure 11. When loading in pillar drawing operations, the extensible pan 2? is usually extended so that the loading pan I I will extend across the entire width of the pillar and said loading pan may be fed into the mined material by means of the feeding mechanism l2 in the hereinbefore described manner or by means of the winding drum 12.

It may now be seen that a new and improved loading apparatus has been provided which is particularly adapted for use in low seams of coal for continuously loading mined material; that the apparatus is of a simplified and compact construction and operates in an efficient manner for cleaning up the entire working place with a minimum of hand operations; and that the device of my invention may readily be maneuvered about the mine.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction and arrangement of the various parts may be altered or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the particular embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a loading apparatus, a frame, a reciprocably moving loading pan guided by said frame for reciprocable movement relative thereto for conveying material therealong, means carried by said frame for reciprocably driving said loading pan and means engageable with said frame and driven by said loading pan for moving said loading pan in a direction transverse to its direction of reciprocable movement.

2. In a loading apparatus, a frame, a guideway extending along one side of said frame, a loading pan adapted to be guided along one of its longest sides in said guideway for reciprocable movement with respect to said frame, means on said frame for reciprocably moving said loading pan along said guideway to convey material therealong, and power driven means for moving said loading pan into the material being loaded in a direction transverse to its direction of reciprocable movement.

3. In a loading apparatus, a jack adapted to be interposed between a mine floor and mine roof, a frame slidable on the mine bottom and mounted on said jack for pivotal movement with respect thereto in a substantially horizontal plane, a loading pan guided by said frame for reciprocable movement relative thereto, means on said frame for reciprocably driving said loading pan for conveying material therealong and means engaging said frame for pivotally moving said frame about its axis of pivotal connection to said jack.

4. A loading machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein the means for pivotally moving the frame and loading pan is driven by the loading pan.

5. A loading machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein the means for pivotally moving the frame and loading pan comprises a jack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom, ratchet advancing means interposed between said jack and frame and an operative connection between said ratchet advancing means and feeding pan.

6. A loading machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein the means for pivotally moving the frame and loading pan comprises a jack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom and disposed adjacent an end of said frame opposite said first-mentioned jack, ratchet advancing means interposed between said jack and frame and an operative connection between said ratchet advancing means and feeding pan.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame adapted to slidably engage the mine botterm, a loading pan extending from one side of said frame and guided for reciprocable movement with respect thereto for conveying material therealong in one direction, means on said frame for reciprocably driving said pan, ajack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom and disposed adjacent the discharge end of said loading pan and forming a pivotal support for said frame, and means disposed adjacent the opposite end of said frame for pivotally moving said frame and loading pan about the axis of pivotal connection of said frame to said jack.

8. A loading machine in accordance with claim '7 wherein the means for pivotally moving the frame and loading pan is driven by the loading pan.

9. A loading machine in accordance with claim 7 wherein the means for pivotally moving the frame and loading pan is driven by the loading pan and comprises a jack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom, ratchet advancing means interposed between said jack and frame and an operative connection between said means for reciprocably moving said feeding pan and said ratchet advancing means.

10. A loading machine in accordance with claim 7 wherein the means for pivotally moving the frame and loading pan is driven by the loading pan and comprises a jack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom, ratchet advancing means interposed between said jack and frame and an operative connection between said feeding pan and ratchet advancing means.

11. A loading machine in accordance with claim '7 wherein the means for pivotally moving the frame and loading pan is driven by the loading pan and comprises a jack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and mine bottom, ratchet advancing means interposed between said jack and frame, a nut, a threaded member threaded therethrough, and having engagement with said frame, a ratchet device for rotating said threaded member and an operative 75.

connection between said ratchet device and said means for reciprocably driving said loading pan.

12. In a loading apparatus, a frame, a guide extending along one side of said frame, a loading pan having one side adapted to engage the mine bottom and another side guided in said guide for reciprocable movement therealong, drive mechanism on said frame for reciprocably driving said loading pan in such a manner as to convey material therealong including a motor, reciprocable drive mechanism driven thereby, a drive connection from said motor to said loading pan, and means driven by said pan for moving said frame and loading pan.

13. In an apparatus for loading loose material, a reciprocably movable loading pan having a relatively horizontal conveying portion and adapted to load by being advanced edgewise into loose material, retaining means on the rearward side thereof for retaining material thereon, means engageable with the rearward side of said loading pan for supporting said rearward side of said loading pan for reciprocable movement and allowing the advance edge of said pan to engage and rest upon the ground, and means to prevent said pan from climbing upwardly into the loose material during the loading operation comprising an advance lip on said loading pan which is a continuation of said horizontal conveying portion, said advance lip being curved downwardly from said horizontal portion and supporting the advance edge of said loading pan on the ground.

14. In a shaker conveyor, a reciprocably movable loading pan having a relatively horizontal conveying portion and being adapted to load by being advanced edgewise into the material it is desired to load, retaining means on the rearward side of said loading pan, and means engageable with the rearward side of said loading pan for supporting said loading pan for reciprocable movement and allowing the advance edge of said pan to rest upon the ground, said loading pan having another pan carried thereby for telescopic movement with respect thereto, means for holding said pans in fixed relation with respect to each other and permitting one pan to be telescoped or extended with respect to the other, and means to prevent climbing of said pans during the loading operation comprising, downwardly curved advance lips on each of said pans which are continuations of said horizontal conveying portions thereof and have supporting engagement with the ground.

TIMOTHY F. MCCARTHY. 

